Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

[Lo0p]

I finally got my county medical insurance approved. I scheduled an appointment with a PCP. I printed out all my research. I bought Dr. Ameisen's book and got it in the mail last night. I printed out a record of my daily alcohol consumption for the last 1 year and 6 days. I printed out before and after photos of my physical transformation. I sat in the waiting room for a half an hour. And then finally, I got to present my case.

He was a recovering alcoholic. Talking to him was like trying to talk to a fugging brick wall! All I wanted was someone to prescribe me the medication that is saving my life so I don't have to import it illegally.

He did say what he would do for me though. He'd give me liver function tests to make sure that the 1 or 2 beers a month that I continue to drink aren't going to kill me.

:durn:

[Guitarista]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Geez Loop,

You'd think a recovering alkie would bloody well understand?! You're obviously putting a lot of work into this, and are serious about taking your life back. You deserve better support, i say.
Perhap's continuing the search for another doc is the way. Hang in there!

Best wishes, G.

[Lo0p]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

You'd think so. But honestly, in my experience, they are the ones that refuse to understand.

[hoping4better]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

That sucks. I think you're right about recovering alkies -- especially those that have done the 12 step thing.

Keep looking.

[Cinders]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Lo0p,

It took me a long time to find a doctor willing to try the Baclofen. Once she did, however, she started trying it on other patients and was very happy with the outcome.

Unfortunately, she would not prescribe high dose, she would only go up to 80 mgs/day.

I do understand her reluctance, though. If someone were to suffer harm from it, she would be liable.

It is going to take a change in the FDA for Baclofen before doctors can prescribe Baclofen for addiction. That is going to take a long, long time.

I also know the 12 Steppers. Their heart is in the right place but it is their way or no way. Trust me, I love AA, I use AA, I go to AA meetings. Some are open to the use of meds to help, others simply are not. They got sober their way and that is the only way for them.

Stay the course, keep searching for a doctor who is open, and one day there will be change for all of us.

Cindi

[crown86]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

LOOP

Hey man good to see you around...and glad to hear 2 beers a month..sorry had to laugh a little..it sounds like you met www.soberrelapsery.comm in the flesh..LOL I remember the resistance you an I met on some other sites. Anyways hope you get it worked out and can maybe find a new doctor.

Good Luck

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

How 'bout if the red hot poker isn't pointed at you anymore? Or at anyone suffering from this.

Sorry, Loop, really. That sucks.
I will offer this hope:
Several years ago I was desperate. No money/too much income(husband working, barely.) Insurance hadn't kicked in yet. I wasn't suicidal, 'cause apparently that can't be drawn out over several years...
Found a guy, who knew a guy, who was treated by a guy, who was willing to overlook the fact that I didn't fit in the parameters and THEN found a way to get the money to send me away for an enlightening (and seriously f'd up) 30 days. I learned to eat and I got exercise and 30 days of sleep. The things he gave me got me here, in a good way. And he was a city social worker in a very addicted and needy city.
So keep knocking on doors. This time we just don't have to waste time with the assholes. Good luck.

[beatle]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Lo0p,

Yes, he is an idiot, not the first -- and not the last -- you will encounter in the extremely insidious world of medicine. It seems that everyone has a stake in keeping alcoholism treatment under the monopoly of AA. Don't get me started (I've provided ample evidence for this in other posts).

But you DO have a couple (fairly) obvious choices:

1) Dr. Levin.

Based on other posts in this forum, he has prescribed over the phone to at least a few desperate people here, sending the prescription to a pharmacy near them. I also understand he has not asked to be paid for this, although you can probably afford to pay for all you will save by having a legit script.

2) Go to a private psychiatrist. And more than one if you have to.

This may seem expensive, but it will save you money in the end, given that bac costs about 0.12$ per/pill generic.

-------------------------------------------
Lo0p, I recall from the book (which I gave away long ago), that Dr.A's mentor said if anyone could find a cure, it was him (Dr. A).

Well, Lo0p, I'd say if anyone can find a way to get a legit scipt for bac, it is you.

[PhoenixRising]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Wow, Lo0p, that's just unbelievable.

[hopefulspirit]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

A therapist that I saw did extensive research to find me a legitimate psychiatrist that's familiar with Bac. The referred doctor teaches and practices at one of the most influential psychiatric hospitals in the US and he recently heard Dr. A speak. He considered himself "cutting edge" but he would not prescribe high doses even though he's treating one patient (this was the only expert she could find) that specifically requested Bac. Overall, he was pretty dismissive and skeptical about this new miracle drug. He said that it would get a clinical trial and that funding did not have to come from a drug company - that federal money would probably do it. My take-away from the appointment ($250 wasted) was that they are watching this because it's going to change the addiction treatment world as we've known it.

But there are good doctors out there that really want to help their patients. My PCP actually bought and read Dr. A's book which I told him about. His comfort level was 100 mgs, I've supplemented off-shore up until now. I am anxious to see him again because I know that he treats other alcohol dependent patients, and he will try this with them.

In your case, I say.. thank God you found out what an imbecile he is now! Clearly a bad match. I just wonder if there's a way to screen doctors via phone before choosing them?

Hang in there,
HS

[Bruunhilde]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

I can see where a physician would be hesitant to rx BAC (a muscle relaxant that at high doses would lay down a horse, with my reactions to it personally. 40mg had me unable to function). To titrate up to 237mg or whatever that magic hit is at, would take alot of coordination and control some of us drunks don't have much of.

If it was my medical license, I'd have to do more than read one book, I project. Good news, however, that one book (Dr A) just came so perhaps it will help me understand how BAC helps if you're careful to titrate slowly. All it did for me so far, was relax my inhibitions about drinking while I tried to titrate up, but my experience is scanty, very scanty. So far I liked Topa better, but I lost alot of scalp hair, which was alreaday thinning, and I'm female so it was extra bad for me, my scalp being the first thing anyone noticed. They couldn't help but look. Re BAC, I will continue to try it. Later, after I recover from this bout. Maybe it's just not for me, or maybe a combo of Topa and Bac are the route - does anyone have experience dosing with the both? I've seen ppl who used Topa and lost then regained hair, and others who had to stop to regrow hair. I've not seen dosing on using both and hair stories beyond the one success story. I am very sensitive to drugs.

[Otter]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Sue!

Lo0p;926756 wrote: I finally got my county medical insurance approved. I scheduled an appointment with a PCP. I printed out all my research. I bought Dr. Ameisen's book and got it in the mail last night. I printed out a record of my daily alcohol consumption for the last 1 year and 6 days. I printed out before and after photos of my physical transformation. I sat in the waiting room for a half an hour. And then finally, I got to present my case.

He was a recovering alcoholic. Talking to him was like trying to talk to a fugging brick wall! All I wanted was someone to prescribe me the medication that is saving my life so I don't have to import it illegally.

He did say what he would do for me though. He'd give me liver function tests to make sure that the 1 or 2 beers a month that I continue to drink aren't going to kill me.

:durn:

Welcome to the club. My wife's doctor looked at me like I wanted her to prescribe LSD even though she was advised by a specialist psychiatrist to prescribe at 100 mg, which incidentally is nowhere near enough.

That is why I set up www.baclfenuk.com and particularly the Legal Aspects section. If you tell your doctor you need a medication and they refuse, then you relapse, I think you should be able to sue them in negligence. Although the legal points I raised are from the UK they are the same in the States. Also, why can you not sue him for the mental distress he is putting you through? That is a physical ailment which stems from his negligent treatment, negligent failure to investigate properly your illness, negligent failure to comply with a reasonble request from a patient, negligent failure to prescribe properly or at all, negligent ignorance of solid scientific evidence that Baclofen works. Let us not for get the damage to your reputation for having to resort to getting medication illegally and the stress that causes.

[tiptronic_ct]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Familiar story... my psychiatrist told me that Dr. A's story and self case-study was "interesting" but would not prescribe at all... Plus said he believed I needed to go to AA.

Poxfecker.

[Light Of Daz]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Sorry to hear about your unsuccess with the doctor Lo0p. My doctor, thankfully, was very open to me trying Baclofen, then authorized a script increase to 80mg/day over the phone a while back, and I go back on Aug 17th for an appointment. I am doing the exact same thing in that I'm bringing Dr. A's book, my other research, etc to encourage a higher dosage Rx. My major difference, however, is I already have a doctor on my side.

I have to agree with everyone else's comments about program-thumpers. I'm really not degrading AA, as I'm witness to many of the successes, but many in the program can be very close-minded about alternatives. To me, while the program offers benefits to live a better life, it does very little for the medical aspect of addiction.

Daz

[Lo0p]

Please somebody poke me in the eye with a red hot firepoker!!

Thanks everyone :l

Could someone please pm me Dr. Levin's contact info and best time to reach him? Maybe Dr. Levin could talk some sense into him. I'm in a very small county with medical insurance that is basically for indigent adults so my options for a PCP are extremely limited.